Behind the Iron Curtain Again: The Shluchim of Ukraine

Today, it struck me that the Shluchim (Chabad emissaries), Jewish communal leaders, and community members in Ukraine are the first (hopefully the last) of OUR generation to be once again stuck behind the "iron curtain." Something that none of us ever imagined happening again.

The stories of heroism of those brave Jews were a huge part of our upbringing in the 70's and early 80's, especially when many of those made it out of the former USSR. They were Chabad royalty, and we saw them up close and personal and soaked up their stories; they were our Marvel superheroes, our alternative to Superman and Batman, but they were real. Though they have mostly passed away, and their stories will never be forgotten, they belong now to a bygone era.

Now, it is back!

There is no training or rehearsal for heroism; it wells up involuntarily from within as a gut reaction to a sudden and unexpected turn of events that unfold rapidly in real time. We are witnessing an unprecedented (for our times) manifestation of instinctive courage, and we are watching it play out in front of our very eyes.

These Shluchim seem to have summoned and reactivated the DNA of Reb Mendel Futerfas and others of his ilk.

These contemporary Jewish heroes are walking human editions of the thirty-second chapter of Tanya, the chapter that is a stand-alone treatise on the soulfulness that gives rise to relating to others with unconditional love.

There is a mystical tradition that in any given era of history, there are 36 hidden Tzaddikim at large. The Hebrew letters that numerically equal 36, lamed and vav, formed the term of endearment for this mythical fraternity of undercover agents of holiness and light: the "Lamed Vavniks."

The Shluchim in the Ukraine today are all LEV (Heart) spelled with the Hebrew letters Lamed and Beis. They are the "Lamed Baisniks!"

They are different though. They are not operating incognito. Additionally, they are special because they have refused to leave even though they could have. As one of them whom I am in contact with said to me, "We knew the risks and had ample time to get out, but we chose to remain." Unlike the Ukrainian-born Rabbis, who are equally heroic, these are American and Israeli citizens who were not legally bound to be drafted into the Ukraine armed forces. And yet, my cousin, for example, whom I have known since he was a baby, has remained. He considers himself already enlisted in the worldwide army of Shluchim, and didn't require any new draft papers.

They and the communities they refuse to abandon, join the exalted ranks of modern-day heroes in Israel who till this day put their lives on the line daily in defense of their country.

I am in awe of their commitment, and I ask that you join me in continuing to pray for their well-being.